Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicoleta Forbes
Nicoleta, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Professionally, I landed in real estate by chance. I used to be in property management back in Arkansas, and then life happened and I ended up in management at Jcrew in Little Rock, Arkansas. I ended up moving to Atlanta, Ga with the company. Once I was there, the apartment complex where I lived asked if I would come in for an interview. I chatted with the girls in the office so they knew I used to be in property management prior. I agreed, got the job and there I was. Well, the complex I was working at was for sale and it sold. Just a couple months later and here I am with severance pay and free time so one of my friends said, “you should get your real estate license.” I thought what the heck do I have to lose at this point. It was do this or go back to Arkansas and truthfully, while I missed my family because they are my world, I did not want to go back to Arkansas. I signed up for the class, took the test, passed on the first try and here I am. I met my husband through Real Estate, ended up working together until he got sick and diagnosed with Lyme Disease. We ended up moving to St. Pete, got married and started over in real estate here in Tampa Bay and it was not easy but here we are!
Personally, I was born in Romania while it was still communist. That’s a whole other paragraph that will make me cry. My parents moved to Michigan, then Arkansas and then I ended up in GA where I would say my career really started. I was first generation college graduate, English was technically my 3rd language and I learned it in kindergarten. That was fun. I remember being tested in first grade just to make sure I didn’t need to be in a special needs class. Oddly, I actually graduated high school a year early and had quite a few honors classes under my belt. My parents are my heroes. They gave up everything so that myself and my siblings could have an opportunity for a better life. Growing up, I remember my mom at times working multiple jobs. We didn’t grow up with money by any means but I can’t say that at that time I really KNEW that we didn’t have money. I had a great childhood, felt safe, loved and supported growing up.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not at all. Not only was I starting real estate in a new area where I didn’t know anybody, which was hard to go to because our business in Atlanta was 98% referral based, I was also taking care of my husband. At that time he had just been officially diagnosed with Lyme disease, in fact our wedding year in 2019, we almost lost him. At the time, I didn’t really know or I didn’t want to admit how serious it was. It drained us financially, emotionally and physically. I look back at the few pictures I have from that timeframe and I can’t look at them really. I get flooded with emotions. It hurts my heart but also makes me proud of him, and us really and just thanking God for getting us through it. So here I am trying to start a new business and take care of my husband. I am a huge Lyme advocate and that is why.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I sell real estate and I mentor a couple of agents. I would say that I specialize in new construction and resale. I currently am working on a townhome community located withing blocks of the new Gas Plant District Redevelopment in St. Pete along with my referral business. I would have to say that the thing that I am most proud of is that I get to share the journey with my clients. Everyone has a story. They aren’t always happy but because customer service is my top priority for my clients, I listen to their stories. It’s not about me but about their goals. Sometimes it’s a divorce, or a death, or an elderly parent that can’t live alone anymore. Real estate is emotional and I get to share that with my clients, it’s a team effort. Some of my good friends are friends because they were clients first.
I love mentoring and watching other people grow and be successful.
One of the things that sets me apart is that I don’t care about the pricepoint. I don’t care if it’s an $80k deal or a multi-million dollar deal. For me, it’s about reality. Are we being realistic about the goals?
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I am working on building my business back to being referral based only. The best support is to refer me a client, share a post or two on social media, things like that.
I am always open to mentoring and teaching agents as long as they WANT to learn.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.elliman.com/florida/associate/510-a-df21062902125267221/nicoleta-forbes
- Instagram: @forbes.nic
- Facebook: @forbes.nic
- Other: [email protected]
Image Credits
Valerie Bogle with Flourish Photography
